Understanding Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) interactions for policycoherence and long-term sustainability

Countries are not on track to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, calling into question the transformative capacity of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as currently implemented. The 17 SDGs and 169 targets were designed as an integrated framework balancing social, economic, and environmental dimensions, yet policy action continues to be dominated by selective, goal-by-goal approaches. Increasing evidence shows that SDGs interact through complex synergies and trade-offs that are highly context- and scale-dependent. Ignoring these interactions not only limits overall progress but risks reinforcing existing socioeconomic inequalities and environmental pressures, with direct implications for policy coherence and effectiveness.

Building on results from the ERC Starting Grant project BeyondSDG (‘Transformation towards long-term sustainability beyond Sustainable Development Goals’), this contribution focuses on understanding SDG interactions and their implications for long-term sustainability at the science-policy interface. The project applies a threefold scientific approach that combines quantitative analysis, qualitative evidence synthesis, and knowledge co-creation to support evidence-informed decision-making. First, we conduct large-scale quantitative analyses using a unified SDG database that ensures spatio-temporal consistency and cross-comparability of indicators across countries and over time. This database provides a robust empirical basis for identifying patterns of synergies and trade-offs among SDGs and for moving beyond correlation-based assessments towards the exploration of directional and causal linkages within the SDG system. Second, we apply systematic literature reviews, machine-learning-assisted screening, and qualitative text mining to identify the mechanisms underlying SDG interactions. This approach synthesizes scientific and policy evidence across areas such as bioeconomy transitions, food systems, urban agriculture, and climate change mitigation. The results highlight recurring gaps between policy ambitions and operational implementation, showing that SDG interactions are frequently acknowledged rhetorically but rarely translated into measurable and integrated policy actions. Third, the project integrates social foundations and planetary boundaries into SDG research to assess whether observed SDG progress aligns with the conditions required for long-term sustainability. This integration supports the identification of policy-relevant interactions and priorities that are not captured by SDG indicators alone, thereby informing more coherent and forward-looking regulatory and governance frameworks. Lastly, knowledge co-creation processes, including workshops and thematic dialogues at the science-policy interface, are used to translate analytical insights into shared problem framings across stakeholders and to identify priorities for accelerating SDG implementation until 2030 and beyond.

Overall, the findings show that although certain policy pathways generate short-term SDG synergies, they frequently fall short of addressing persistent trade-offs related to consumption patterns, resource competition, and social dimensions of sustainability. We argue that strengthening policy through science requires systematic prioritization of SDGs, improved understanding of interaction mechanisms, and closer alignment between SDG implementation, long-term sustainability objectives, and science–policy engagement processes.